285. (L.) David Evan was indicted for stealing four yards and a half of velvet, value 40 s. five dozen of handkerchiefs, one dozen and a half of pins, thirty-seven yards of linnen cloth, fifteen yards of muslin, thirty-six yards of silk ribbons, the goods of Richard Blackbourne , William Swan , and Co. in the dwelling house of Richard Blackbourne , April 17 . + .

William Swan . I am a haberdasher and live in Woodstreet , there are three partners of us, Blackbourne, Hopton, and Swan; Blackbourne occupies the house: the prisoner was our porter , our people had found a small quantity of handkerchiefs rolled up, and laid in a private place, last Saturday, and on Sunday they were gone. We suspecting the prisoner's honesty got a search warrant, and found a great many goods upon him our property.

Alexander Coing . I live in St. Martin's lane, I have known the prisoner three years, I am a Peruke-maker, the prisoner used my shop; he brought a quantity of goods to my shop tied up in a bundle about three weeks ago, desiring me to take care of them, and said, they were going to Scotland. In about a fortnight after this he brought another parcel corded up in the same manner, and left them also. Last Wednesday he sent a messenger to me from the Compter desiring me to come there to him; I went; he told me he was put in there on suspicion of robbing his master of some thread to the value of 10 d. he desired me to call upon two of his masters that he had lived with formerly, near St. Martin's-lane, to appear for him on his trial as yesterday, and desired me also to come; upon this I suspected the things he had left at my house to be dishonestly come by, and then carried the two parcels to Mr. Blackbourne's, and they owned them as their property.

Thomas Pollard . I am clerk to Blackbourne, Hopton, and Swan, I received these two parcels of Alexander Coing , (the goods mentioned in the indictment produced in Court and deposed to by Mr. Swan) the prisoner lived in the house in the capacity of a porter for about seven weeks, we had no suspicion of him til l last Saturday night; we took him up about the handkerchiefs that were taken away, and had him before my lord mayor, then he confessed he had stole some thread; then we got a search-warrant, and in his lodgings we found some of our goods; after which Coing came, and gave us an account of the two parcels produced here, they are my masters property.

John Persival . I am constable, I went with a warrant to search the prisoner's lodgings on Tuesday last and found the piece of handkerchiefs which were lost, which made us suspicious of the prisoner, three silk handkerchiefs, four 1 b. wt. of tea, and several other things that are not here.

Prisoner's Defence.

Several of these goods belong to me, I was in business before I went there.

The prisoner called John Downs , who had known him about a year. Samuel Coast between two and three; John More a year and a half; John Steward the same; and Edward Bradley about three years, who all gave him a good character, exclusive of this.